Turkey: Erdogan to revive bid for executive president

Turkey could hold a referendum on constitutional changes for a new political system, reviving a highly contentious push to increase the powers of the president, an aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today.

The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, which Erdogan founded and continues to lead from behind the scenes, scored a stunning victory in a parliamentary election Sunday, gaining back the majority it lost in a previous election just five months ago. The surprise win marked a turnaround for Erdogan, allowing him to move ahead with plans to consolidate his grip on Turkish politics.

The president has limited constitutional powers and Erdogan has long been pushing for constitutional changes that would give him the ability to govern. The prospect has irked opponents who are already troubled by his ever-increasing authoritarian tendencies and often-polarising rhetoric.

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters that Erdogan believes a presidential system giving the head of state sweeping powers would make Turkey “jump up a league.”

“What is the best model for us? Taking into consideration the results of the Nov. 1 election, this is something that will be settled by asking the people,” Kalin said.

“This debate cannot be considered independently from the people. If the mechanism is a referendum then a referendum can take place,” Kalin added.

The party, however, is still 13 seats short of the 330 required to call a referendum on any constitutional change. Kalin did not say how those limitations can be overcome and it was not clear if the AKP would seek the support of other parties represented in parliament.

Kalin insisted that Erdogan wanted the system because he strongly believes it would be the best for Turkey and not for personal gains.

“Tayyip Erdogan has already made history. He is already a strong leader. He is also a strong leader in the people’s hearts,” Kalin said. “This is not a debate that should be pulled toward his person.